Show The Salt Lake Tribune RELIGION Saturday July 9 1994 -- f n OBERT777"ktxIRBY Dr 17 1 tI k5t377 14 v I :?i' A- I 0 e Monnons Don't Hoki Monopoly On Church Nap Whatever religion you belong to whatever your personal relationship with God there is one thing we all hold in spiritual common — failing asleep in church There are a lot of reasons for conking off in the middle of a church meeting not the least of which is that a dose of any church meeting is almost boring enough to be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration I've attended services of other faiths so I know that snoozing while worshiping isn't just a Mormon thing I sat next to a guy in a Catholic mass once who actually snored something which I previously believed to be the sole province of Mormon high priests I've worshiped with Jews Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses and assorted other faiths They've all got their snoozers - The only service I've ever seen that emphatically believes in NOT sleeping in church was an evangelical gathering I atfive-minu- te -- tended in Georgia These people know how to get down to Christ You'd have to be deaf to fall asleep in one of their meetings Great music Everyone knows the Sabbath is a day of rest Sleeping in church is merely an orthodox approach to this commandment The more spiritual you are the faster and deeper you sleep Atheists excommunicated types and New Agers like me being spiritually dim just get bored in church Falling asleep in the middle of an LDS church meeting like the priesthood is primarily a male function The older you get and the more priesthood You've got the quicker you're overcome by the spirit Some high priests are asleep before the end of the opening song Still others will close their eyes for a prayer and never return A few will even sleep right through their own talks A 'common jest in the Mormon Church is that a greater degree of reverence could be had in our meetings if we would simply ordain all infants to the office of high priests It's true The average LDS church service sounds like a gang of howler monkeys trapped in a Dumpster Make these kids high priests and they'll sleep through church Only occasionally do you see women asleep in church I don't know why I suspect it's because of something only woMen (and sharks) can do Anyone raised by a woman and married to a woman knows that women sleep with their eyes 'open It's not just church that produces sleep Plenty of Sabbath naps take place in the home I passed the big four-olast year I know that there is no form of Sunday worship more restful than flopping floor down on the front-roowith the dog after a big meal and conking off until the home teachers come around and wake me up The trouble with this kind of Sabbath snoozing is that it leaves you with a doozy of a hangover Invariably I wake up in my own drool (I hope) feeling like an animal research group darted me for closer study The rest of the day is anything but a spiritual experience You drag around like the undead wishing you'd resisted the spirit just a little bit more ' Sleeping in church is nothing to be ashamed of It's proof that despite our religious differences we're all one faith h Robert Kirby is a 1 By Michael Hirsley feature at the "Utah County Journal" He lives in Springtille with three children and CHICAGO — There were simultaneous celebrations of divine liturgy at 10 Chicago and suburban churches and a candlelight procession to an outdoor prayer service But there was more than spiritual spectacle at this week's Greek Orthodox Clergy-Lait- y Congress which drew 1700 participants from North and South America The issues facing Greek Or thodoxy particularly the 15 million in North and South America including 1 million in the United States — have a harder edge Call it the headache of ministering amid increasing interfaith marriage in the United States While some of those marriages bring new converts some result in losses as spouses convert to the other religion usually Roman Catholicism And with new con nitty-gritt- y Presbyterian Head Preaches Reconciliation C Continued from ( The Rev Robert W Bohl moder- 1 t -- Church (USA) Presbyterian -- -- -- - Robert W Rohl GANNETT NEWS SERVICE BOISE — A Boise woman is pleading with the government of Iran to release her husband who is in jail there accused of trying to preach Christianity to Mus)irnq "Please respond to our desperate plea to have our family reunited" said Sylvia Shahjamali during a news conference here "We and the world are waiting for you to show compassion in the name of Islam" Her husband Hassan Shahjamali 40 was arrested July 1 by Iranian authorities and charged with evangelizing Shahjamali a convert from Islam to Christian churches during his visit this weekend Today he is expected to attend a meeting of the Presbytery of Utah at Westvale Presbyterian Church 3610 S 4400 West West Valley City The meeting begins with worship at 10 am and Bohl elected to the post during last month's General Assembly in Wich ences and did it" he says "No one went away mad We went away feeling we did something significant This will go down in history for doing what the church needed to do for a long time" Participants left Wichita pleased "Even the gay caucus went away happy" says Bohl "We didn't exclude anyone from the church This is the real beginning of a major healing of the major divisions we've had" He agrees with one account that attributed the General Assembly's outcome to the delegates' Presbyterianism "Presbyterians really were Presbyterian" says Bohl "Our system provides for open debate and discussion and a true vote at the end" Linda Simpson the Utah Presbytery's lay delegate to the General Assembly and a member of Salt Lake City's First Presbyterian Church says the Wichita meeting was a growth experience for her "Many of us went to this apprehensive about the outcome because of the controversies" she says "Many of us had formed opinions on partial information" But the uncertainty if not the excitement gave way early on through the combination of Kansan hospitality and Bohrs overwhelming election as moderator on the first ballot "It was one of my highlights" Simpson said the assembly "We sang Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow" and 'Amazing dh also going to be a church seeking Gods wisdom and direction for where he wants us to go" says Boa "We've turned the old ship in a different direction We have to ensure that we have enough fuel to move the ship" Friday Bohl met with members of the Presbyterian Lay Committee in Whitefish Mont at their request as part of his reconciliaChrist-le- d tion efforts The nationwide group of lay people publish the Presbyterian Layman a quarterly newspaper noted for a conservative stand on church issues "People form attitudes about the church Christ and God when they see dissention within the church" says Bohl "If we can turn this around we can be a wit- ness and beacon in the world" er "Reconciliation will be my big role as moderator" he says "The consensus is that we're all part of a family There is no success in responding to the radical left and right You can't satisfy both We talk about being a church and that's what we're go Christ-centere- d (1 Lgh Southern Baptist Congregation Speaks Japanese CHURCH Nur IIII Continued from B-- 1 EIONINEIMMIIIIIMINE The Spirit ot the Lord ia upon Ite because he huh senme Vheat 111t1 to the I 50100t Sagar—Spices—Msai—Coffes—Canned ot kight to the )1Toos the Lord 0 MAI We Lei FOR T1 IOS IVIIt) tVON MIR - r ' cro ''" -t I- t '1'4Ile " taC10 - ''''' ' tt tk 0460 no Fodo ' t ''' - ' U It':i tidtitfl 10 730 WED Juke—Milk—Ego Stato County or Oty Funds a spiritual boost and tilted me with Lowell L Bennion: "D Jell Burton has rich and extensive experience et lutimling people who are troubled because their" thinking has led thew to question and even doubt New 2nd Edition Available VT at all LDS bookstores IVE Inc Bountilut Utah - - Liberal of Sala IA? r Worship Services 1000 Chad Care provided ApplOMOMIPM FIRST UNITARIAN 1 CHURCH 569 So 13th East Summit Forum of 10 om "CRIME IN UTAH'S CAPITAL CITY" Ruben Ortega CHURCHES FIRST UNITED METHODIST 203 S 200 E 328-872- 6 AS SEEN Raw BY OTHERS" Flobort ft Sowell Child Cam Worship Sorvios 1100 Sm Pi‘hddild Sunday School W30 cm CHRIST UNITED METHODIST 2375 I 3300 So WHEN A WALKING STICK IS ALL YOU NEED" Worship Services 800 8 30 a ti sm Child care provided Church School fiv30 Ron Hodges than McClellan Ministers: E So Temple at "C" Street A t :t4! rT7--- rn) -- li t C4"of 10800 So 571-- 6 OF THE FAITHFUL Rv — eir ' tl Invite you to praise mdcworsh'enovowsthlocathmtionat -- church Mt nondenominational and is located at 4000 VC 6415 Sts In keerniS i "Ltricuati Ti I tot TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 4290 West 8418 South Mauna 9884891 "WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOUR cArtm $ET YOUR TOUR HEART SiNGINGr FEET TO DANCING &mow Worship Service at WOO I am Sunday School Tongan Worship WOO pm Youth Group SIX) pm am 4 kt t " l Southeast Ch—ristian Church Notion Provided 1881 E Vine St 212-825- 8 Van Winkis (8100 So 8:30 & 11 Worship The Rkhomis ore graduates of Phonic Bible Training Center in Tulsa OK Service times are: Sur 10:30 am Sun 6:30 pm Midweek is Wed 730 pm For more inionnotion oleos contod tho crt 989-611- 5 or 969-361- 8 cm 9:45 cm Evening Service 600 pm Church School Minister Jerry Lewis Youth Minister: Chris Lap An Iradsoondionit Christ Centered Body IWE'VE DESIGNED A CHURCH FOR YOU iN 6(-- va FELLOWSHIP ill SERVANT" JORDAN UNITED METHODIST 2 2888 Wait 9000 So (in the Mall) "OARING TO DANCE" Rev David Butter MOO Worship Services 830 Sunday School 945 Pavane-iDavid J Sudar 'N:re 11434 Mn Jim Coma 830 a II 00am Sunday School It 30ert Susanna's Preschool James Cowell Pastor 363-388- 9 "A NEW COMMITMENT TO AN OLD COMMISSION" Dr Robert Rohl Moderate : WORSHIP SFRVICES 9:30 1100 AM ICHI:RCH SCHOOL bat sow AM ample perky at Chase Manhattan Bind 400 E di South 111311167via temple) Child Cara Provided WW11603RdDRIcAhLairVdE ' 3615559 first Prtsbpttrian T UNITED METHODIST E PARABLE (Disciples of Christ) vvan i EIPI WOrIONC SerVICOd () 41k Central Christian Church LII) IIIIUMMIIIMMiMMMEM (:(1 8 Sunday Program: 9:30 am Bible Study 10:40 am Worship I1H - Praise & Prayer Service 1 Pastor and Utah 84121 Ii The FriendlieM Church in SLC David A Henri David C Lee Horace M McMultan 0 1111nommow UNITED METHODIST "THE I 50100N-17o- ° muter tbs SpI of Low within bstmeamtv 370 S 300 E "THE JOYFUL SOUND" 3 SC 7136 S 1700 East DESERVE Rev Dr David A tioarY & 11:00 Fothennghans KEY TO SUCCESS! Mike Fotheringham Special Music: Nikko Hansen Lake Aweadmtmng Democratic WaSatCh""0ti0nt-- Mike Unity1101:11 Worship Services 10:30 am Sunday School 10:30 am Free Earstca at 4 am Education aaaalounsaty 6876 Sc 20th East VY Reatio COMIlle1116: I PA finished reading your book and found much personal relief contained in its pages "i kit a peace I haven't lett since betore my mission" - "FREEDOM TO KNOW GOD" Brad Neptune preaching a71n PA Lit (5000 S) WE 730 PA itaitipous (19 Razors This book will help! ISBN AJA SPRING CHILDREN litti Questioning your Mormonism? Reading was wnewed hope 't L "ALI BETTER WORLD" Therionno Cotter° oil PRESS b 10:30 SOUTH VALLEY 985 aw SERVKI 1165 11001141k1 DR 9:30 AidagQiik writ -- -Pit Sunday Celebration Service 06r1-"N- UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST (79 PRESENTING JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONLY !MAI SOLUTION TO HOMELESSNESS heha: pPuretIce 1306 Family An stligeno of Rhona BINA Owen rube OS Sunday Seances 1030 ant I 6:30 ant Executive Won - 280 W 7200 S Pastors Jenne 5 Becky Knight Preaching Grace I Nam Wog Jamie Omer For more infornance FULL GOSPEL Whoa GRE THIRD SO WED Great Harvest Church OF REUGIOUS SCIENCE i 1 484-022- 0 Nursery Care Provided Toilet Soap—Latotehy Soap bitnd to set at hoorty them bruteed i Diapar—Dizposable Pape Pro‘liacts—Mposable and recovering 111 hiko Sugiuchi arrived from Japan a few months ago to minister "It's like a reversal of roles" says Frye "Rev Sugiuchi left a very productive and visible ministry in Japan to come to the US The Japanese Southern Baptist Convention there has a vested interest in his work here It is a reciprocation in kind — their chance to do some good here as a gesture of appreciation" Telephotos 35 WE NEED YOUR HELP delltivic'ectripttti"e:tsol: I I SERVICE THIRD CHURCH SUM - SERVICE 11 SECOND CHURCH S0100t SUN v Back in Utah the Rev Katsu- RESCUE MISSION OF SALT LAKE 463 South 400 West NeIIIn eddiess: PO Box 1431 Sett Lotto City UT $4110-143- 1 bath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he : FIRST WICK: 33000 Japanese congregation to share his building The Southern Baptist Convention first sent missionaries to Japan in 1860 but they were lost at sea The Civil War and Reconstruction delayed any further action until 1888 Active evangelizing continued until World War II when only a remnant of Baptist missionary work remained Japanese pastors were conscripted am El MEN 35211 AM ' SUN Re N of the Light Li Sound ot Worship Service at 1000 ant Public Viacom "SHIELD OF SILVER LIGHT" Free Universe of Dreams Video Presentation My 16 6:00 pJVV It Eckankat Canter 507 E 1700 So Suite A SIC "HONESTY PAVES THE WAY" Rev Bonnie Aoos Celebration Service: 10:00 am Meclitation Service: 9:30 am 461-5024 hr DialA-Prever- 7 am LBEPT GILBEPT PikSTOR truster Now Church Going On!!! 5448 South 900 East 265-86Rev Bonnie Apps Minister A 943-40- 7r1rOP at 8th So & 13th East I 485-82- Numery 10 AM Church School (1111 Warship 1100 AM Nursery provided Ministent Stan Smith Nancy Darnel Lad Baptist Church 10:00 11:00 Worship Service ProvKted SUNDAY SERVICES Five Pst Robber's 5824921 ages 930 1724 East 2100 South tCHR1STi 2015 Newcastle Drive (8850 So) 920 41wip: Worship Service Swam 1780 Sa 1100 E 4137447S '407 00 4H Presbyterian Church FIRST BAPTIST t ap41711' arnia - COMMUNM OF GRACE I VIntage rp8 HILLTOP in an effort to reduce the national debt Fasting members of the St Luke Presbyterian Church have been donating the money saved to fund Last year a national-deb- t the congregation raised $1148 ing to be "We're crying It was like a tremendous healing occurred A friend from Spokane said there was enough love to hold the church together" Simpson says the meeting was a spiritual experience one where the Holy Spirit swept through the assembly like the Kansas wind through Wichita "I was so glad the Holy Spirit is alive well and working in the Presbyterian Church" she says Bohl sees his role as peacemak- NEW THOUGHT CENTER 4 aoi Bible Study into the military and one particular church had shrunk from 2700 members to fewer than 500 by 1945 according to the Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists A new Japanese Baptist Convention was formed again in 1947 By 1992 Japan had 258 Southern Baptist churches 91 missions and a membership of more than 3260) KANSAS CITY Mo — Members of a suburban Kansas City church have been fasting for one Meal a week since January 1993 Grace' People were hugging and NLENutiNT ity spent five weeks in Iran visiting relatives and sharing the Gospels before his arrest The US State Department took initial steps to communicate with Iranian authorities by contacting governments that have diplomatic relations with Iran The US ambassador to the United Nations received a written appeal for help from Idaho's congressional delegation Thursday Shahjamall described her husband as a man of great faith "My husband knows who his God is and through his faith in God he has no fear of what man can do to him" mail at Compuserve (72733 THE ASSOCIATED will Pastor Terry d Fasters Chip Away at Deficit ita Kan will speak afterward and answer questions The Utah Presbytery is made up of the state's 24 Presbyterian churches The churches have a combined membership of about 5000 Later Bohl will be the guest at a 7 pm reception at Salt Lake's Mount Olympus Presbyterian Church 3280 E 3900 South arranged by Pat Steiner a Mount Olympus member and moderator of the Utah Presbytery visit three Salt Lake Valley we could deal with our differ- On Sunday Bohl will be the guest preacher at the 8:30 am and 11 am worship services at Salt Lake City's First Presbyterian Church 12 C St and will be the guest at a luncheon to follow worship Bohl 55 has served as senior pastor of Fort Worths First Presbyterian Church since 1980 His ministry there is noted for humanitarian work with refugees the homeless and frail elderly The Oklahoma native served as chairman of the Bicentennial Fund Drive of the denomination 1988-9- 3 —Peter Scarlet Moderator's Utah Itinerary 3 Churches on ator of the General Assembly of the A strife-debilitat- Idahoan Held in Iran for Evangelizing ATTEND THE CHURCH OF YOUR CHOICE The ((New Age Mormon" welcomes -- ' - 5 01 B-- 1 cal delegates spurned a proposal to recognize same-se- x unions and rejected language suggesting a future consideration to ordain homosexual members Positions — Presbyterians call them overtures — were overwhelmingly approved affirming fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness and the churcifs historic identity and purpose "The assembly voted 989 percent — there were only four negative votes — to affirm who God is and what the church is called to do" says Boa "It did not deny our need to have ecumenical contact with other groups or the possibility for women to talk about God but said that we had a Biblical base on what we do and when you step outside it and deny the sacred doctrines of the church like the incarnation and atonement it's not acceptable "What I call this is a benchmark general assembly" says Rohl "We decided who we are and what we're going to be "It was a laboratory of human grace under pressure We proved with other faiths And he has been working most intensely with Roman Catholics Nearly 90 percent of converts to his faith result from intermarriage and 80 percent of those marriages are to Roman Catholics Efthimiou estimated But he added "I suspect we are losing more than we are gaining in converts" Dialogue between the two faiths is virtually stalemated on several issues among couples who choose to retain their respective faiths: The Orthodox Church feels its priests impart God's blessing so it doesn't recognize weddings in the Catholic Church On the other hand the Catholic Church requires that a parent in an interfaith marriage do all he or she can to raise children as Catholics If the church moves too far to protect its religious and ethnic identity it will alienate those who want it to modernize Efthimiou y - writer his wife verts comes increased pressure to modernize and "Americanize" Greek Orthodox rituals away from traditional liturgy and use of Greek language Call it the struggle against repression involving the Greek Orthodox and their umbrella Christian faith Eastern Orthodoxy which has 200 million members That battle includes trying to recover ethnic and religious identity in former Soviet republics after years of Communist domination and trying to maintain the seat of worldwide Orthodoxy in Istanbul where it is besieged by Turkish government dictates Call it survival Clergy-laitconferences don't resolve issues but "give us a sense of direction every two years" said Rev Milton Efthimiou As ecumenical officer of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America he is his denomination's liaison CMCAGO TRIBUNE ait 4 said "But if we go to the other extreme and create a totally American Orthodox Church with no cultural ethnic ties we will become unrecogniiable from what the fathers of our faith envisioned and from a lot of other churches" Conference delegates voted to double his offices budget after a session in which couples and priests described hardships of intermarriage "It brought to light that this issue is the most critical the church is fac: lug" Efthimiou said But other conference participants gave priority to other issues Alex Rondos is executive director of the International Orthodox Christian Charities This year it is distributing some $17 million in emergency cash food medical supplies health and psychological counselnations in ing services to Europe Asia and Africa He urges that Americans support the reemerging Orthodox Church as the most ethical instrument for economic and political change in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union Greek Onhodox Church Facing Critical Challenges t A B3 " elt 3- 74--411- 030 Joy-F- ul AM Enjoy Contemporary Music Quality Children's Program A Place Where You Can Make Ufe" 6:00 PM New "The Believers Spiritual Authority" Pastor Rayon Spooking in al Services Croodire (Youth) Tuesday 700 pm Haile Study Wednesday 7:00 pm iFelloseidlip of Christian Adult Singles) Friday 7:00 pm South Valley Community Church Sunday Morning 11:00 AM 9 4880 So 70 L (12 block we of State Si) FOCAS 583-912- Naraner fee ail Sunday Service" REV NOEL RAVAN SENIOR PASTOR PHONE: 26S-217- 1 4300 SO 700 E 3 Friends Practical Encouraging Messages Casual Atmosphere Jack Perry Pastor 1 N 7 |